UpStereo

“UpStereo is a simple, useful tool – it makes your mixes bigger, in stereo width and loudness. Using three basic basic systems: 1. A fixed frequency EQ designed to lift the highest audio frequencies, and boost the bass. 2. A stereo width unit, for expanding stereo sounds so they appear wider and fatter. At extreme levels other characteristics are also brought out of the sound, so this can also be used as a tonal control for individual instruments. This also has a mono setting, useful for squashing up those aggressive samples that take over the mix. 3. A Loud switch that raises the waveform to the limits in a smooth curve. This saturation gives the mix a more perceived loudness, without clipping. There’s also an option for overdriving this effect, distorting the waveform towards the maximum, and can be used to create a raw punch to the sound.

These stages create an overall loudness effect on the final output, so a gain control is included to keep the limits in check.

The main ‘bubble’ display on the plug-in is really a basic meter, when one of the stereo halves flash red, then the output is being clipped. Try and keep the levels so the red flashes only occasionally, this enables the loudness control to work at its maximum.

Colour and light changes are achieved my dragging the central meter-ball, using ctrl or shift to flow through colours. Maximum right/up drag returns the colour to white.